Facebook scam: Justin Bieber STABBED By CRAZED Fan

Summary: Scammers are once again using Justin Biebers celebrity name to spread their nonsense on Facebook. This time, the claim is Bieber has been stabbed, in NYC or LA, depending on the version you see.

Facebook scammers are once again exploiting ignorant victims with claims that Justin Bieber has been stabbed. The story is false.

This version says something along the lines of Justin Bieber STABBED By CRAZED Fan Outside L.A. NightClub! or Justin Bieber STABBED By CRAZED Fan Outside N.Y.C. NightClub! The description then says OMG! NOOOO! Could YOU Even Imagine?!? followed by a link to a fraudulent website, according to Sophos. As you can see in the screenshot above, the messages include a thumbnail image of a young mans back badly slashed with a knife.

Unfortunately, Biebers fans are unlikely to check their facts before clicking on the link to discover more about the alleged attack. If they do click, they are taken to a webpage with what appears to be a YouTube video. Unsurprisingly, the scammers ask them to share the link on Facebook (to further spread the scam) and complete a survey (to earn money) before they may watch the video. The last part never happens, because again, this is all fake and there is no video.

The scammers goal is to drive more traffic towards certain sites. This is how the scammer earns his or her money: a commission for every survey completed, every product purchased, and/or every account compromised. They al! so use t hem to spread malware and obtain personal information.

As a general word of caution, dont click on everything your Facebook friends share on the social network. If you see a scam like this one, report it. Then go check your own Wall to make sure youre not spreading the scam; the sooner you clean it up and Unlike any relevant Pages, the better. You can also contact Facebook Security if youd like to.

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Emil Protalinski has covered the tech industry for five years for multiple publications.

Biography

Emil Protalinski

Emil Protalinski has covered the tech industry for five years for multiple publications, including Neowin for two years and Ars Technica for th! ree year s. He has written 1,000s of articles for both, with a particular focus on scrutinizing Microsoft products and services. Recently, Emil has expanded his coverage to non-Microsoft technologies, including the social networking giant Facebook.